Odds On Racing - Harness Racing

Countdown to the $225,480 Berry's Creek Final

May 5, 2005

Notes from Bob "Hollywood" Heyden

Jo Pas Shark is a son of Cams Card Shark, the ONLY Horse to ever win the Berrys Creek, the NJ Classic AND the Meadowlands Pace. 88-year-old Pat Tarsio owns Pats All Star. But he'll have to wait a year to top the owner---89-year-old Thomas Dexter---of the winning horse of both the 1989 NJ Classic and Meadowlands Pace, Dexter Nukes.

Michaels Marvel races for Mark Harder and Robert Murphy of British Columbia. His dam--Michelles Jackpot--won the $452,600 Three Diamonds in 1996 at Garden State Park, the last year that Mark Harder worked for Robert Murphy, and then went on towork four years with Ross Croghan (1997-2000) before branching out on his own in 2001.

Odds On Duane is from the first crop of Dragon Again--the ONLY first crop sire in the field. EACH of the past two editions of the Berrys Creek have been won by a first crop sire, but NEVER before that: in 2004, sire The Panderosa, winner Brandons Cowboy and in 2003, sire Artiscape, winner Artesian.

Eric Ledford is the ONLY driver in history to win his first THREE Breeders Crown races--ALL with the SAME horse--Eternal Camnation. Eric is the ONLY driver in history to have had a $6 million season prior to his 30th birthday--and have that season still stand as his career best (Christoforou and Campbell also did it before 30 but bettered it afterwards).

Three of this weeks finalists are out of No Nukes mares--the only sire with more than one broodmare representative. Jennas Beach Boy is the ONLY sire in this year with two finalists--Anticipation & Michaels Marvel. It would have been three with Jennas Choice.

Yannick Gingras had 101.40-1 shot Windage Hanover one year ago in his debut, now he has to try it in his second go round with a maiden-0-10 Realiscape. NO Maiden has ever won the Berrys Creek.

No trainer in this years final has previously won the Berrys Creek (Silva had in 2000-Whelan Willie-but was scratched out of this years final with Jennas Choice)

Mark Harder has a two-ply entry (Michaels Marvel & Jo Pas Shark), and one of them is a Cams Card Shark-sound familiar? In the 2004 Meadowlands Pace, he had a two ply entry and one was a Cams Card Shark-the WINNER Holborn Hanover. (Camelot Hall-4th).

The sire of Realiscape--Artiscape--won BOTH NJSS finals here last year-with Maltese Artist and with Rainbow Blue.

ALL six board spots the past two seasons in the Berrys Creek final were sired by Hanover Shoe Farm sires. This year, four of the 10 finalists are by Hanover Shoe Farm studs, ---Cams Card Shark, Dragon Again, The Panderosa and Western Hanover.

Mega Hall will make his 18th career start in the Berrys Creek, the most of any finalist.

Mike Lachance--when he goes to post with Pats All Star--will be making his 17th straight Berrys Creek drive---the ONLY driver to appear in every one.

Artsplace, soon to be the next $100 million sire in harness racing, has never won the Berrys Creek. His GRANDSON-Artesian did in 2003, and this year his hopes rest on Mystic Gold.

Pat Berry--With Anticipation--is trying to duplicate what George Brennan did in 1996 and become the second 29-year-old to win a Berrys Creek final. George is the youngest to date to do so, coming just one week after his 29th birthday in 1996, with Hot Lead.

Four Starzzz Sisco and Failsafe Hall (0-5-the other maidein the field) will make their sixth career starts in the Berrys Creek final, the fewest in the field.

Seven states & Canada are represented on the ownership in the Berrys Creek final.